Translation, Validation and Extended Factor Models of the German State Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (S-DERS)

Difficulties in emotion regulation are an essential transdiagnostic phenomenon of mental health. While there is extensive literature focusing on emotion regulation difficulties as trait-like constructs, it is inherently a dynamic process that unfolds over time. This raises the need for state-like measures to capture these temporal dynamics in both laboratory and real-world settings, such as the State Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (S-DERS). In the present study, we report the German translation and validation of the S-DERS and present a cross-sectional network analysis to stimulate novel hypotheses for pathways linking single discrete difficulties. A sample of 214 participants underwent a negative mood induction followed by an assessment of the 21-item S-DERS. The results confirm the four-factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the original English version. Consistent with previous studies on the trait-DERS, we find that an exploratory structural equation modeling approach with extensive cross-loadings is necessary to reach good model fit. Moreover, a model with four correlated factors outperformed a bi-factor and high-order model. This indicates there is no single latent construct of emotion regulation difficulties, but rather four distinct but related constructs for (a) Non-acceptance of Current Emotions, (b) Limited Ability to Modulate Current Emotional and Behavioral Responses, (c) Lack of Awareness of Current Emotions, and (d) Lack of Clarity about Current Emotions. These associations may imply a complex causal interplay between these factors.